AND FOR ALL THESE REASONS … I’M IN

Quick Overview

Being an entrepreneur can be scary, it can be frustrating, the hours can seem never-ending, the stress can be overwhelming, the sacrifices can be huge, and many times you will ask yourself, What was I thinking?

Gil Oved, Lebo Gunguluza, Polo Leteka, Vinny Lingham and Vusi Thembekwayo, all of them entrepreneurs, took on the role of the dragons in the first South African season of the hugely popular television reality show Dragons’ Den. They were once in the same position in which all entrepreneurs find themselves before they take that deep breath and dive in. They know how it feels – the excitement, the passion, the sense of making a difference through offering something original, complex or simple. They know the disappointments when things don’t go according to plan, when funding is not forthcoming, and when a business fails dismally despite every best effort. They have walked the road and fallen into the potholes. They took the knocks and learnt from the lessons.

Key is that they learnt from their mistakes and were undeterred. They tried again. And again. And, sometimes, yet again. They persevered until they did it. And they’re still doing it.

I’M IN isn’t a how-to-build-your-business book, but rather one that offers insights into the thinking and experiences of people who have built businesses, have seen them fail, and have seen them shoot the lights out. If you are a budding entrepreneur, or a newly launched entrepreneur, or even a seasoned entrepreneur, then this book is for you.

CHAPTER OUTLINE1. The DNA of an entrepreneur2. Ideas3. Planning4. Pitch and presentation5. Networking6. The language of business and understanding the numbers7. What’s it worth? Understanding value8. Funding myths, truths and options9. The art of negotiation10. Words of wisdom on mistakes and failure11. The magic words: ‘I’M IN!’ What happens next?12. No Brand = No Business13. Eliminate the guess work – Systems and processes14. People and company culture

Gil Oved, Lebo Gunguluza, Polo Leteka, Vinny Lingham and Vusi Thembekwayo are all self-made success stories in Africa, and they were the Dragons on the reality entrepreneurial television programme Dragons’ Den.